Abstract
[Extract] The current debates about the ethics of torture are replete with fictions and abstract generalizations. In this essay, I consider the category of “interrogational torture” and show how its use cannot withstand empirical scrutiny. Consequently,it is of no value in helping us ascertain the real-world possibilities and consequences of torture, nor can it help us assess whether state or non-state agents might be justified in using it. Interrogational torture, as Bob Brecher asserts, is a fantasy whose role in justifying torture is grotesque. In a discussion of the nature of explanation in history and the social sciences,Geoffrey Hawthorn warns of the dangers of abstraction and generalization.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 457-470 |
Number of pages | 14 |
Journal | Journal of Social Philosophy |
Volume | 43 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Dec 2012 |
Externally published | Yes |